BUTTERFLIES OF CANTAL AND LOZERE. 301 



in the sunshine with Z. caDiiolica, Z.fausta var. faxistina, Z. 

 hilaris, and, more rarely, Z. lonicerce, fausta being perhaps the 

 most active, and all in good order. Both Colias ediisa and C. hyale 

 were also plentiful, and S. cordnla, quite fresh, Showed con- 

 spicuously with their dark velvet wings on the daisies, which 

 still supported a few Melanargia galatea ab. leucomelas, decidedly 

 commoner than the type, though invariably too broken for the 

 collecting-boxes. Fritillaries were few and far between : A. 

 adippe, A. aglaia, and A. niohe var. eris; A. selene — one almost 

 unrecognizable example — with M. athalia and M. didyma, were 

 only " occasionals " ; Coenonympha dorus very common, but all 

 shabby fellows, and almost vanished before the week I spent on 

 Causse was finished. I may add that the 'Hotel des Voyageurs' 

 at Mende offers good accommodation (in the d&pendence), and 

 the abundant fruit supplies and trout from the Lot (by the 

 banks of which charming river I found Papilio machaon one 

 sunny morning in some numbers) afford the chef opportunities 

 of which he is not slow to take advantage. Seven francs a day 

 for a good room and full pension reminds one of the palmy days 

 of Switzerland as we remember it thirty years ago, with an 

 infinitely better cuisine included ; and prices generally in this 

 part of France rule decidedly low, even small tips being received 

 with civility and gratitude. 



Leaving Mende on the 14th, I passed the night at Bort 

 (Correse), a small town prettily situated on another good 

 trout-stream, the Upper Dordogne, and having a couple of 

 hours before the Paris train left, though it was tropically 

 hot I strolled up towards the forests which encircle the 

 perpendicular cliffs known as the Orgues de Bort, but, with 

 the exception of Dryas paphia, Leptosia sinapis, Melitcea par- 

 thenie, and abundant E. tithonus, I saw nothing on the wing ; 

 and next morning found me back at Paris, where the short 

 spell of August summer was already at an end. From all 

 accounts the weather from June onwards in France north 

 and south was abnormally cloudy and wet, and this no doubt 

 accounted largely for the meagre results of my collecting this 

 year. But I think it worth remarking that at le Lioran the 

 extraordinary flights of dragonflies in general and of Anax 

 imperator in particular may have assisted to exterminate the 

 already none too plentiful Khopalocera. Often did I come upon a 

 likely corner to find a couple of these fine insects in possession, 

 and as they remained hawking over the flowers and low shrubs 

 it appeared as though the butterflies instinctively dropped to the 

 earth or took to covert. At all events, when Anax was about 

 I had extremely poor luck with the Order of which I was in 

 search. 



Of the Mende butterflies taken or observed by me the follow- 

 ing is a complete list : — 



